Textile fabric for belting and method of making same.



INo. 762,357. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

w. 11. SMITH.

TEXTILBFABRIC FOR BELTING AND METHOD OP MAKING SAME.

APPLIG'ATION FILED JUNE 29,1903` No MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented J une 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

INILLIAM R. SMITH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BUFFALO VEAVING ANDBELTING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TEXTILE FABRIC FOR BELTING AND IVIETHOD OF MAKING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,357, dated June 14,1904, I Application led .I une 29, 1903. Serial No. 163,512. (Nospecimens.) i

T0 all whom zit mfr/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. SMITH, of Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Textile Fabrics for Belting and Methods of Making the Same, Vof whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to multiple-ply woven fabrics the threads ofwhich are of textile material, such as cotton, and particularly tofabrics of this character made in elongated strips of suitabledimensions for machinebelting.

The invention has for its object, rSt, to provide a fabric of thischaracter which shall be inextensible longitudinally or in the directionof length of the warp-threads and free from liability to be affected byatmospheric conditions, so that the fabric when embodied in amachine-belt will not stretch under the ordinary conditions of serviceto which it is exposed.

The invention also has for its object to enable the threads of amultiple-ply woven fabric to be permeated or saturated with an adhesivecomposition applied in a fluid or semifluid condition, to the end,first, that the indil vidual fibers of each thread may be caused tocohere, and thus produce an increased degree of tensile strength similarto that imparted to the well-known thread termed a waxed end byapplication of wax thereto, and, secondly, that the surface of a beltcomposed of threads thus treated may possess to a suiicient degree thequality of adhering to the peripheries of the wheels or pulleys overwhich it passes, this quality being unaffected by the wearing away ofthe surface of the fibers of the threads because of the saturation ofthe threads with the adhesive composition.

The chief object of my invention is to enable the threads of amultiple-ply woven fabric to be permeated or saturated with a fluid orsemifiuid composition containing rubber, the composition being of suchcharacter that it can be cured or vulcanized within the threads byheating, thus producing a belt of great durability and well adapted totake a sufcient frictional hold on pulleys.

Prior to my invention, so far as I am aware, a multiple-ply woven fabricof textile material has never had its threads uniformly saturated withan adhesive composition applied in a fluid or semifluid condition. Sofar as I am aware it has been heretofore considered impossible to forcea fiuid or semifiuid adhesive composition, and particularly onecontaining rubber or its equivalent, into the threads of a multiple-plywoven fabric, owing to the fact that the warp and weft threads of amultiple-pl y fabric are so closely interwoven that it has beenimpossible by any methods heretofore known to force a composition of thecharacter stated into the warp and weft threads in such manner'as topermeate the saine. I have discovered that by heating a fabric of Vthischaracter, and thus thoroughly expelling all moisture therefrom andputting its fibers in a receptive condition, and by stretching thefabric lengthwise or in the direction of its warp-threads while it isheated the physical conditions of the fabric are so changed that anadhesive composition in a fiuid or semifluid condition can be readilyforced while in a heated condition into the pores between the threads ofthe fabric and into the minute crevices between the fibers of thethreads while the fabricis in stretched condition, heat and pressurebeing employed conjointly to force the said compositioninto the fabric.I have also found that a fabric thus treated possesses certain newcharacteristics particularly adapting it for machine-belting, saidcharacteristics being entire freedom from liability to shrink,resistance to the varying conditions -of the atmosphere as to moisture,and adaptability to cling or take an effective frictional hold upon theperiphery of a pulley, this adaptability being unaected by the wearingaway of the surface fibers yof the fabric.

A machine-belt made of multiple-ply woven fabric treated in accordancewith my invention has all the desirable qualities of the ordinaryso-called rubber belting composed of alternate layers of textile fabricand rubber without possessing the chief disadvantage of ordinary rubberbelting--viz. the liability of the layers of the belting toseparate-this liability, as is Well known, often causing thedisintegration and materially impairing the durability of an ordinarylaminated clothand-rubber belt. A multiple-ply woven-fabric belt is notlaminated, but is practically homogenous in its structure, so that whentreated in accordance with my invention with an adhesive compositionwhich permeates its pores and saturates its threads a belting fabric isproduced which is practically waterproof and adapted to take aneffective frictional hold on a pulley and is at the same timefree fromliability to separate into thin strips or shreds, its wear being dueonly to the gradual removal of the surface fibers. This removal, beinggradual, has no effect analogous to that of the splitting away orremoval of a surface layer in a combined clothand-rubber belt.

My invention may therefore be said to consist in a multiple-ply woventextile fabric characterized by the fact that it is first stretched andthen has its threads uniformly permeated or saturated by an adhesivewaterproof composition which causes the fibers of the threads to cohereand prevents shrinkage of the fabric, the said composition being of anysuitable nature, preferably a solution of rubber.

The invention may also be said to consist in a multiple-ply woventextile fabric preliminarily stretched longitudinally and provided witha filling composition which prevents the later contraction of thefabric.

The invention also consists in certain improvements in the art ofmaking' non-shrinkable fabric, substantially as hereinafter describedand claimed. I

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l represents a side view of a piece of multiple-ply woven textilefabric. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged longitudinal section on line 2 2of Fig'. 1. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged longitudinal section on line 33 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l. Figzrepresents a transverse section on a smaller scale.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, u a represent the warpthreads, and 7; b the weft orfilling threads, of a multiple-ply Woven textile fabric, the saidthreads being preferably of cotton, although they may be of any othersuitable fibrous material. The threads may be interwoven to form amultiple-ply fabric in any suitable manner and by means well known tothose skilled in the art. In carrying outmyinvention I take a web of thesaid fabric, the said web being usually relatively narrow and of the useof the completed belt.

indeterminate length when intended for use as machine-belting. The webis thoroughly heated to expel all moisture from it, and while in aheated condition it is stretched longitudinally to render thewarp-threads practically inextensible under the strains incidental toThe force employed in stretching the fabric is preferably such as toincrease its length about live per cent., this increase in length beingaccompanied by a corresponding increase in the .width of the crevicesbetween the weft or filling threads. Practically speaking, thestretching operation creates crevices or spaces between theweft-threads, because in the fabric as it leaves the loom theweft-threads are in close contact with each other. In fact, all thethreads are so closely related that when the fabric is in its naturalcondition such crevices or spaces as exist are not sufcient to renderthe fabric receptive to any Huid or semifiuid composition of arelatively viscous and sticky nature. The heating and stretching of thefabric, however, so changes its character and formssufIiciently-enlarged crevices or spaces that a fluid or semifiuidcomposition, which may be a solution of rubber or rubber dissolved inany suitable solvent, poured upon the heated and stretched fabric andpressed into the same will find its way readily into the enlargedcrevices between the threads and into the bodies of the threads. Thecomposition may be forced into the fabric by any .suitable means, suchas by heated pressurerolls, between which the fabric, with thecomposition applied to it, is passed, the heated rolls forcing thecomposition into the pores and crevices of the fabric. If desired, thefabric may be additionally treated by rubbing its surfaces with heatedreciprocating irons or polished-metal bodies. I have found that bymaintaining the fabric in a stretched and heated condition while thecomposition, also in a heated condition, is being applied and forcedinto the pores of the fabric I am enabled to secure the uniform andthorough permeation of all parts of the fabric by\the composition andthat the fabric after the described treatment is free from all liabilityto contract, is unchanged by wear as to its structure and its capabilityof holding or adhering to a pulley, and is practically inextensibleunder any reasonable or ordinary strain such as a machine-belt is liableto be subjected to. The improved fabric is therefore distinguished frommultiple-ply woven fabric in its original condition or as it leaves theloom by the features above enumerated. The fabric is furthercharacterized by the fact that its tensile strength is increased fromthree to iive times. The fabric when treated with asolution ofunvulcanized rubber or its equivalent may be subjected to heat in avulcanizing-press to vulcanize the rubber. Owing to'the fact that alarge part of the rubber is IOO IOS

located within the pores of the fabric the vulcanization does notrequire to be carried to such a state of hardness as would be requiredif the rubber were disposed in layers upon the surfaces and between thecloth layers of an ordinary cloth-and-rubber belt. The

rubber may therefore be left in a relatively soft and adhesivecondition, thus improving the frictional hold of the belt upon thepulleys. A suitable apparatus for performing the operations abovedescribed, which convert a multiple-ply woven fabric into aninextensible non-shrinkable waterproof fabric characterized ashereinbefore described, is shown in another application for LettersPatent of the United States, Serial No. 168,511, filed by meconcurrently herewith.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are intended to show the general relativearrangement of the warp and weft threads of an ordinary multiple-plyfabric. The said figures do not, however, represent the close relationof the threads to each other which occurs in the actual fabric.

Fig. 5 is intended to represent conventionally the appearance of a cutend of the fabric when the filling composition is applied to the threadsof the outer or surface portions of the fabric, the fabric being cutcrosswise. The more deeply-shaded parts c in this figure represent theparts filled or permeated by the filling composition. The lightercentral part d represents the internal portion of the fabric which hasnot been permeated by the composition. I find it desirable in some casesto force the composition partly but not entirely through the thicknessof the fabric. In other words, I prefer for some purposes to leave thecentral part d unfilled. While the filling increases the tensilestrength of the threads, as already stated, it decreases theirflexibility. When a particularly flexible fabric is desired which iscapable of being bent freely either lengthwise or crosswise, thetreatment illustrated in Fig. 5 is desirable. I desire it understood,therefore, that I do not limit myself to a fabric in which all thethreads are permeated or saturated with a filling composition. It isessential that all the surface threads be thus permeated; but I regard a.fabric having its surface threads permeated or filled and its internalthreads left in their original condition as an embodiment of myinvention and as within the scope of the following claims.

I claim- 1. A multiple-ply woven textile fabric stretched longitudinallyand provided with a filling composition while the fabric is stretched,whereby the contraction of the fabric is prevented.

2. A multiple-ply woven-textile fabric stretched longitudinally andprovided with a lling composition while the fabric is stretched, wherebysaid composition permeates the threads of the fabric or parts thereofand fills the crevices formed or enlarged between the weft-threads bythe stretching operation.

3. A multiple ply woven textile fabric `stretched longitudinally andprovided with a filling composition which permeates the threads of thefabric or parts thereof, said composition being adhesive and appliedwhile the fabric is stretched.

4. A multiple ply woven textile fabric stretched longitudinally andprovided with a filling composition containing rubber, said compositionbeing applied in a fluid or semifluid condition while the fabric isstretched.

5. A multiple-ply woven textile fabric preliminarily stretchedlongitudinally yand then provided with a filling composition containingrubber, said composition being applied in a fiuid or semiuid condition,and vulcanized.

6. A multiple-ply woven textile fabric characterized by the fact thatits threads are preliminarily stretched and then permeated or saturatedby an adhesive Waterproof composition which causes the fibers of thethreads to cohere and prevents shrinkage of the fabric.

7. A multiple-ply woven textile fabric characterized by the fact thatits threads are preliminarily stretched and then permeated, or saturatedwith a waterproof adhesive composition or filling containing rubber.

8. A multiple-ply woven textile fabric characterized by the fact thatits threads are preliminarily stretched and then permeated, or saturatedwith a waterproof adhesive composition or filling containing rubber, thesaid filling being vulcanized.

9. Amultiple-ply woven textile fabric characterized by the fact that itssurface threads are permeated or saturated by an adhesive waterproofcomposition, while its inner threads are free from said composition, thecomposition being applied while the fabric is in apreliminarily-stretched condition.

l0. The improvement in the art of making non-shrinkable belting, &c.,which consists in longitudinally stretching and heating a piece ofmultiple-ply woven textile fabric, and while the piece is so stretchedand heated, forcing into its threads and crevices by means of heat andpressure, a heated filling composition.

11. That improvement in the art of making non-shrinkable belting, Sac.,which consists in heating and longitudinally stretching a piece ofmultiple-ply woven textile fabric, and while the piece is so stretchedand heated, forcing into its threads and crevices by means of heatandpressure, a heated filling composition containing rubber, andsubsequently heating the whole to vulcanize the filling.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM R. SMITH. lVitnesses:

J. E. VooRHIs, MIL'LARD F. BOWEN.

TOO

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